Fight Allergies Naturally

It’s that time of year again. Spring is in full swing for much of our nation, and those with seasonal allergies are feeling it. In fact, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says that approximately 35 million Americans suffer from various forms of allergies, although Immuno Labs based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, believes this number to be much higher.

If you struggle with seasonal setbacks from allergies, including everything from hay fever to grass, dust, mold or other allergies, then take heart because there are some natural ways through diet that you can deal with annoying allergies.

For starters, you can have a healthy helping of honey, particularly local honey, which can help your body build up resistance to some of the local pollens that may be disturbing you. You’ll want to go with raw honey—and not cook it at all, since that can destroy the beneficial properties of it.

Sezelle Gereau Haddon, M.D., an attending otolaryngologist at the Beth Israel Medical Center Department of Integrative Medicine in New York City, says that many of her patients swear by eating local honey as an anti-allergen. “The bees eat the pollen that’s in your region of the country, then they produce the honey and you consume that, so it’s kind of like a mini allergy shot,” she explains.

Next up is ginger. There are many ways to incorporate ginger into your diet, but one way is through a hot ginger-based drink. You take some freshly peeled and cut ginger root and add boiling water to it. Let it steep for five or ten minutes and then drink it. You can sweeten it with some raw local honey to add some additional punch to it. OrganicFacts.net says, “It [ginger] has a direct effect on the anti-inflammatory processes of the human body, as it plays a pivotal role in dominating the platelet-activating factor.” The platelet-activating factor, by the way, is associated with allergic reactions, among other things.

Along the same lines as this ginger drink is having tea time—with green tea, peppermint tea and chamomile tea. Each acts as an effective natural antihistamine. Green tea, in particular, was discovered by Japanese researchers to have a compound called Methylated Epigallocatechin Gallate, which inhibits the cell receptor included in activating allergic responses, according to OrganicFacts.net.

And let’s not forget about “lime time,” either—namely lime juice, which is said to be among one of the best remedies for any type of allergy. One caveat, though, is that if you have an allergy to citrus fruits, then you need to avoid lime juice. If, however, you’re able to have lime juice, then start early—prior to allergy season by a few months—by drinking a daily glass of room-temp water with some lime juice and local raw honey mixed with it.

Finally, eat probiotic-rich foods—especially those with the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus acidophilus. Be sure your probiotic-filled foods are also organic and non-GMO, of course. Check the labels to ensure you’re getting the forms of probiotics you need.

There you have it—some foods that can help you fight seasonal allergies naturally.

This information is intended for educational and informational
purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination
or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine
diagnosis or course of treatment.